League pilot Idaho Took is captured by the Slurian Union. Thought to be a spy, he is sentenced to a death camp on the frozen planet of Altera. Barely surviving the deadly cold, sadistic guards, desperate prisoners and crippling starvation, Idaho battles for the hope of escaping the inescapable. The entire cast of misfits in this book work off one another really well, whether friend or foe and even the briefest of encounters is told with the same detail as longer attachments.

It’s easy to empathize with the cold, hunger, and brutality the prisoners must endure and it is horrifying and heartbreaking to see what people are willing to do to survive. Despite being set in a space opera setting, this is a harrowing and tense depiction of life in a forced labor camp. It’s merciless but a page turner as Idaho is a resourceful and interesting character to follow. The title implies further adventures with him and if they’re as good as this one, I’d like to read them.